United for a cause! Delhiites give Christmas festivities a miss to observe peaceful protest against gangrape at Jantar Mantar

Delhi Police blocked roads in Central Delhi for the third day as hundreds of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for the 23-year-old gangrape victim who is battling for life. Five of the nine Delhi Metro stations that were closed on Sunday were opened Tuesday evening.

"We want the rapists to be handed over to the public. The government cannot give justice to the woman," said Sushma Thakur, a Delhi college student, at Jantar Mantar.

"We want immediate justice for the woman who was brutally raped by the six men. They should be hanged in public," said Surya Pratap Singh, a medical student, who came from Madhya Pradesh with his friends to join the protest .

People lit candles at Jantar Mantar to protest peacefully against the Delhi gangrape.

Delhi Metro shut the nine stations on the request of Delhi Police who wanted to prevent people protesting against the brutal gang-rape from reaching the city centre.

A day after the clash between protesters and police at India Gate in the heart of the capital, Delhi Police Monday told protesters to go to Jantar Mantar.

The protest at India Gate and Rajpath on Saturday turned violent, with police using water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse to crowd. Constable Subhash Chand Tomar, who was injured during the protest Sunday, died early on Tuesday.

"We were holding a peace protest which was joined by some outsiders that led to violence," said Puneet Gupta at Jantar Mantar.

"It is sad that a constable who was injured in the protest is no more, but many of us were also severely injured in police action," Gupta said.

"Police were carrying batons and were wearing helmets. We are not responible for his death," said a 28-year-old Renu Nayek.

Tomar's anguished family blamed the violent protesters for his death. The protest left 77 policemen and 65 demonstrators injured.